Geo_NJ

I am planning a Vermont trip in mid summer. My road bike is a double and I dont think it will handle the steep ascents. I dont want to switch to a compact double or triple as it is perfect for 100% of rides in NJ>
I have a mountain bike with a good range of speeds that I can use instead. I will change the tires to slicks.Is there any weight advantage to converting the current suspension fork to a rigid fork? I would like to shed as many lbs as possible. Any other ideas to add comfort or lose weight? The bike has an aluminum frame.
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Geo NJ

KevinF

I wouldn't think the weight savings between suspension and rigid forks would make much of a difference. There will be a noticeable savings because you're not constantly compressing a rigid fork though.

Whereabouts in Vermont are you planning on going? Are you planning this trip or going with a group? Most Vermont roads I've come across are actually in pretty decent shape, especially considering the winter. If it's a self-guided trip, be aware that there are lots of hard-pack dirt roads in Vermont which take you to some of the most scenic places in the state. I've ridden some of them on road bike tires which isn't necessarily a pleasant experience. If you're taking a MTB and can do some wandering though, you could be in for a real treat.

-=(8)=-

Even if you just stay on / around Rt. 100 or 7 and the scenic offshoots you will
get beautiful scenery, decent roads with shoulders and drivers who are WORLDS more receptive to cyclers than you will find in Jersey The hills, to this 46 year old plodder are a challenge no matter what you are riding so I wouldnt even worry about that.
Please post details of your adventure !

alison_in_oh

I just got back from riding in VT! I put a cassette with a 12/25 on my double-chainring (53/39) roadie and I was good to go. But then, I didn't do Smuggler's Notch with the fellas, where they discovered the joys of 18% grades. And we all skipped Lincoln Gap altogether (rumored to be 20 to 24% grade!) But really, except for a couple steep bits that I had to get out of the saddle for, it was no biggie. We stayed on route 125 and I rode Middlebury Gap twice, Brandon Gap once, and did a nice rolling ride from Shelburne to Ripton. The parts of 100 that I rode on were nice, but I would avoid 7 if I were you -- it's quite busy, try to stick to the parallel side routes or just ride elsewhere!

There are a lot of gravel roads, and when they get steep (like the mile long road to the place where we were staying!) they're scary on skinny tires, so wider slicks on a MTB might be a boon there.

Enjoy.

Kitohe

I did some riding in Vermont over the weekend and I happen to be from New Jersey(small world). What I did was start at Okemo Mountain and take 103 (very short) to 100. 100 was an excellent ride into Plymouth, the road winds around the mountains so its not to hard of a ride and beautiful. There are also many lakes that have places for people to put boats in and most of them also have a porta potty, which is very nice. Then I turned right on to 4 East, which was actually better then 100 and finally I took 100A back into Plymouth and returned on 100 to Okemo. An excellent ride through Vermont.

woodboy

Riding north-south you can get by with a 39-25 as your smallest gear. East-west through some of the gaps can be tougher. Route 100 in any direction has some nice riding but the shoulders are narrow and crumbling in some areas. Route 4 is wider but has a lot of traffic. I haven't ridden much up north yet but there are some nice roads with less traffic. I plan on going up to Jay/Newport at some point this summer to ride.

Here's a link to a handy tool for checking out rides in different areas...

https://www.pedaling.com/searchRides/SearchRides.asp

-=(8)=-

Wow....I guess everyones opinion depends on their frame of reference...
Coming from Pa. I would call shoulders on Rt.100 good and Rt. 7 not a crowded road
but others who know more disagree it seems ! Oh well......regardless, I think Vermont
is one of the most bicycle friendly and scenery intense states on the East Coast.

Thanks for that link !!!!

KevinF

Small world! I was up in VT this weekend as well; I was doing my rides from Magic Mountain (Londonderry). I hit up the Okemo area on Saturday and the Jamaica (I will always find it amusing that there's a town called Jamaica in Vermont) area on Sunday.

alison_in_oh

Heh, we hit the Londonderry Farmer's Market on Saturday before heading home to Ohio!

Route 7 was downright scary in the vicinity of Middlebury, between the construction and the trucks whizzing by. We tried to avoid it as much as possible, and even the locals practically forced alternate routes down our throats!

Likewise when visiting family near Londonderry, I toyed with the idea of starting our return trip on my bike and letting my husband catch me. "Don't take 7!" urged my husband's aunt, "Take 7A, less traffic and it's more scenic too!"

There were plenty of small quiet country roads to take in lieu of the big ol' north-south route anyway! Narrow shoulders don't matter when the traffic is sparse enough that you can take the lane!

-=(8)=-

Rt. 100 through Waitsfield and the surrounding area is
nice riding with some high end LBS's to stop in and ogle / wish
for a break.
I am moving to Proctor (Just outside of Rutalnd, 4a) in August..
I cant wait !!! I will be able to walk 10 ft. out of my front door and
be on some great cycling roads !!! Life is good !!!

Kitohe

I seem to remember that route 7 is a busy highway. Unless you are talking about the part of 7 that is south of Bennington, which is still busy. Although there is now some crazy 279 road that cuts off Bennington now. Anyways, biking on 7 seems a little crazy

Geo_NJ

Well I would prefer to use the road bike rather than my MTB as it is excruciatingly slow. I have a 53/39 with a 12/27 cassette so maybe it wont be so bad. I am starting out about 20 miles north of Killington.

Team Hammertime

I grew up in Brandon, Vt, which route 7 goes right through. The brandon gap is awesome by the way. i do it every time i visit my parents. I think it as hard as any of the cat ones in the tour (though only on the southwest to northeast direction). It is very hard and steep.
I agree route 7 is very busy, but from Brandon to Burlington, you almost always have a very large shoulder, and its not all that bad ( if you dont die getting through middlebury lol). Rt 100 though is very busy also.

I think your double will suit you fine. Most of vermont is rolling hills, and in the valleys you wont want a mountain bike. I guess it all depends on where you are planning to go. If you are considering doing the app gap and the rest of the insane mountains, then you probably are already in good enough shape to usse the double up it. I did the app gap three months after i started cycling and i was in poor physical shape before i started. ( not fat mind you, just skinny with no leg muscles or any muscles for that matter).
So